Converting existing garage into a music room

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  • LestratcasterLestratcaster Frets: 1079
    edited November 2017
    Some photos of the garage were taken earlier just can’t upload via my iPad for some reason.


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  • LestratcasterLestratcaster Frets: 1079
    edited November 2017
    Front of the garage, as you can see there’s no door:



    Inside of the garage, its literally bricks and mortar, floor needs doing:



    I have a lot of space, there's a door on the other side but I would change it that for a more secure one.


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  • Some things I found out about teaching room layout.
    1. You need a seat for a parent as well as a seat for your pupil and maybe a seat for a sibling or a place to put a baby carrier
    2. I found swivelling office seats with no arms are best for you and pupil. Any kind of fairly comfy chair will do for parents.
    3. Your pupil's seat needs to be between yours and the door, so as not to give the impression that you could try to stop them leaving if they wanted to.
    4. If they bring portable music storage devices you need suitable connectors to your stereo kit of a length that will reach from your input plug as far as the pupil's seat. If they bring (eg) Rockschool CDs they usually don't mind handing the disc over to you to put in your CD player.

    Sorry if that's so basic as to be beneath your own experience.

    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
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  • ricorico Frets: 1220
    edited December 2017
    Watch this for inspiration




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  • Some things I found out about teaching room layout.
    1. You need a seat for a parent as well as a seat for your pupil and maybe a seat for a sibling or a place to put a baby carrier
    2. I found swivelling office seats with no arms are best for you and pupil. Any kind of fairly comfy chair will do for parents.
    3. Your pupil's seat needs to be between yours and the door, so as not to give the impression that you could try to stop them leaving if they wanted to.
    4. If they bring portable music storage devices you need suitable connectors to your stereo kit of a length that will reach from your input plug as far as the pupil's seat. If they bring (eg) Rockschool CDs they usually don't mind handing the disc over to you to put in your CD player.

    Sorry if that's so basic as to be beneath your own experience.

    No worries, attention to the small details are always good! Though I don't actually have many children as students contrary to popular belief, 90% of my learners are aged 16 and above, only 1 parent ever sits in the room with their child during a lesson.


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  • rico said:
    Watch this for inspiration




    Wow, he pretty much had the same starting point as I currently have, just a basic garage with literally nothing in there.

    But he was handy with bricks and wood so he only had to pay for the materials as he pretty much built it himself, whereas I have no knowledge of building work.

    I have noted the fact he built "a room-within-a-room" which is something I'll have to do and put a new roof and insulate it.

    I would love to get a set up similar to what he did, though I'm not a drums tutor but the job he did on the soundproofing was great.

    The end result is totally worth it and it does give me some hope, costs aside!
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10356
    I built this room for less than 4K in materials, as I said basic timber, plasterboard etc is quite cheap ... the rooms too big to fit in a photo .... it was built as free standing, room within a room design





    As was this control room 




    Here's my old converted garage, I only took a few photos while doing it ... mine was worse than yours I think when I started. First thing I did was block up the doors with concrete blocks














    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • Yeah as you can see from the photos I've literally got to start from scratch. But I don't need as much stuff in there as you do like the mixing desk and drum kit. Its totally doable but as I said before I'm not a labourer and haven't got a clue how to do it myself.

    I do however know a couple of people who do bricklaying type stuff so I could possibly call on a favour if I can source the materials for around £4k like you say. I just have a feeling its going to cost more than that in total and there's a risk I might not pay it off with the lessons that are to come after.
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  •  I just have a feeling its going to cost more than that
    Most engineering jobs take twice as long and cost twice as much
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
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  •  I just have a feeling its going to cost more than that
    Most engineering jobs take twice as long and cost twice as much
    Yeah if I knew how to do it myself and it only would cost £4k in total I'd do it tomorrow but I don't.
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    Great vid by that guy with some very helpful ideas.

    This is something I need to do so let us know how you get on @Lestratcaster :)
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  • He soundproofed it very well and it looks great. So if I can get started the same way he did I'm onto something.
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  • stevebsteveb Frets: 42
    I cant see it costing 4-5k. I built my music room from scratch, including ground works, windows and door, rubber roof, elecs, fully skimmed inside. It cost me 4.5k. I did Most of it myself but you get the idea. You have a shell which is a good start!!! 

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NxoemEv7v_omijujEx8PjDSMd8iJvvjtdA/view?usp=drivesdk
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  • Can or can't see it costing 4-5k lol
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  • stevebsteveb Frets: 42
    I cant!! Shop around for best prices on materials. You could do a lot yourself, removing the roof, doors, etc. And try and call in a couple of favours as you say. You could also learn to do stuff like batten the walls out to take insulation. Fit the insulation, plasterboard over. Worth thinking about.
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  • Oh, just cos you said you can't see it costing the same amount as it cost you! 

    I might be able to get someone to do it for cheaper to get the costs down, I know different people who can do stuff like electrics and plastering etc.
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  • capo4thcapo4th Frets: 4437
    You should be able to hire a builder and a young labourer for two weeks and build an amazing room for £5000 inc electrics and double layered soundproof board. Plastered and floored. Surface mount your electrics and lighting. Easy to source a cheap PVC double glazed window and door. 

    Plan plan plan and plan again and spend time sourcing your materials.

    Minster insulation were super cheap for the dense kingspan and 15mm soundproof board.

    Wood again shop around and find a deal. Very easy to blow your budget with the wrong materials supplier.
    Avoid Wickes B+Q.

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  • stevebsteveb Frets: 42
    edited December 2017
    Mine included flagging, i had to have a new mains board in the house to take 'the shed'! Skips to clear what was there before. Like i said, you have a shell with a base. Its a good start. Do as much as you can yourself and use people you know for the rest if poss!! Good luck with it!! Keep us updated!!
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  • Just an update on this, I'm still looking at getting this done, just been a bit unproductive about it.

    Anyway I know an electrician who lives across the road from me who popped over to take a look. His observations were to do the ceiling, bricking up the back garage area to stop people accessing it round the back, changing the windows to PVC, getting bit of carpet in there and installing the sockets and some lights. Then to put an actual lockable door on the front. 

    He's coming back tomorrow to do measurements before coming back with a rough price. Fearing I'm going to get stung here!
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  • PolarityManPolarityMan Frets: 7273
    I'd have to apply for planning permission though wouldn't I? Surely I can't just go and build a studio on my tod
    I think if its jsut a garage conversin then it will fall under permitted development. My local council have a form you can fill in to submit some sketches and they will confirm that you dont need planning permission ...it £79 but cheaper than doing a full planning permission application I would have thought.
    ဈǝᴉʇsɐoʇǝsǝǝɥɔဪቌ
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